Sponsor Spotlight: Michele Feeley, Money Coach
After 25 years in corporate accounting and auditing, Michele Feeley shifted her focus to something more personal: helping people feel calmer and more confident about their everyday finances. Through Money Coach Michele, she works with clients to tackle real-life money challenges—from rising household expenses to lingering credit card balances—by creating simple systems that make day-to-day financial decisions feel clear and manageable! 💰
Learn more about her approach, and how you can connect with Michele if you’re ready to bring more clarity and confidence to your own finances.
Here’s more from Michele:
You spent 25 years in corporate accounting and auditing. What made you decide to shift into money coaching?
I enjoyed much of my time in corporate accounting and auditing. I worked with smart, driven, genuinely good people. Over time, I realized I wanted the second half of my career to feel more personal and more impactful.
Friends and family were always coming to me with money questions, and I found that I really loved helping them feel calmer and more organized. I’ve always had a knack for taking complicated things, whether it’s finances or even a messy closet, and making them feel manageable. Money coaching felt like a natural way to use my skills to help people in their day-to-day lives. I love seeing clients progress from feeling overwhelmed to feeling organized and more confident with money.
How does someone know they need a money coach & not a financial advisor?
I help clients deal with what’s happening right now. The higher PSE&G bill. Finding the cash for a summer rental deposit. Figuring out how to finally make progress on that Amex balance. It’s less about projections and more about creating systems that actually work day to day.
Advisors focus on long-term investments and projections. I focus on the day-to-day decisions that make those plans possible.
You mention helping clients through big life transitions...what are some of the most common moments when people realize, “Okay, I need help with my money”?
Many of my clients earned a great income when they were single and living in NYC. Life felt comfortable.
Fast forward to marriage, a house in the suburbs, and a couple of kids in daycare. The income is still strong, but expenses have quietly grown and things feel tighter than expected.
Most people do not reach out before these transitions. They usually call a few years later, when some debt has built up and they are not sure where to begin. That is when we sit down and make a plan.
What’s one small money habit you wish more people would start today that can make a big difference over time?
One simple habit I love is separating your fixed bills from your day-to-day spending. This can be two checking accounts or even two credit cards. One for bills and one for things like groceries, gas, dining out, and shopping.
It creates quick clarity around fixed versus flexible expenses and makes it much easier to see where your money is actually going without tracking every single transaction.
You’re based in Cedar Grove. What's your fave winter drink and where are you grabbing it from?
A hot Cinnamon Roll coffee from Cedar Beans in Cedar Grove, or an iced Hall & Oates from The Compound Coffee Company in Verona.
When you’re not “geeking out” over spreadsheets, where are we most likely to find you locally?
I try to take a daily mental reset with a walk on one of our beautiful local trails and a weekly yoga class at Flux or through the Cedar Grove Rec Department. On weekends, you might find me grabbing a Black and Bleu burger at Maggie’s Town Tavern or a scoop of Peanut Butter Pie ice cream at The Creamery. You’ll almost always find me cheering on my son at whatever sport he is playing.
Picture this: It's freezing cold & snowing lots (I know, tough to picture). What do you love doing - or not doing! - on those winter days?
Growing up, our snow-day supply checklist was bread, eggs, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. I still can’t let a snow day pass without making chocolate chip cookies and homemade hot cocoa.
It also feels like permission to stay inside, take a nap, or finally organize a closet.
If someone could walk away from working with you feeling just one big shift around their money, what would you want that to be?
I want clients to move from that knot-in-your-stomach feeling when they think about money to a sense of ease, and even excitement, about what’s possible once things feel clear and under control.
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